What does a Cuban cigar, a glass of Italian red Chianti and a slice of fresh baked bread have in common? They are all addictive drugs. The cigar and wine we know as such, but the bread drug is marketed as a healthy dietary choice!

Allow me to step backwards to fill in the details so that you may better understand the connection between bread, sugar and addiction.

Sugar causes heart disease not saturated fat. The hydrogenated fats like corn oil, cottonseed, canola, safflower, sunflower and soybean oil do cause arteriosclerosis, heart disease and cancer. But the health fats like avocado oil, coconut oil, flax seed oil, fish oil and olive oil actually help prevent heart disease! The idea of cholesterol “clogging up” arteries and causing heart disease came from a diet-heart hypothesis proposed in 1953 that has since been proven to be completely wrong by hundreds of studies. Sugar is the real culprit.

Sugar feeds cancer cells; increase insulin resistance and diabetes, creates obesity, increases inflammation in your body and also decreases your body's PH levels. This inflammation (suffixed by "itis") is not limited to the ileitis and colitis of the colon but can manifest systemically in any area. In the tendons, inflammation is called tendonitis, in the heart- carditis, in the skin- dermatitis, in the joints- arthritis. Inflammation and acidity in the body also increases degenerative processes and aging.

So how are sugar and bread connected? Outside of the fact sugar is often an ingredient in bread, the bread itself in the digestion process is converted to sugar. Amylopectin A, the complex carbohydrate in wheat is quickly digested by amylase to glucose. Because of the speed of this conversion, this type of amylopectin in wheat and grains creates more of a spike than other carbohydrates such a beans (amylopectin C), bananas and potatoes (amylopectin B). A study done in 1981 at the University of Toronto measuring the Glycemic Index of certain foods, reported 2 slices of whole wheat bread increased the blood sugar more than a Mars or Snickers bar! The GI index for white bread= 69, whole grain bread GI=72, Mars bar GI=68, snickers GI index=41.

Are you wondering why you haven't heard about this issue about bread being a sugar? If you haven't heard of this idea, you are not alone. I'm not sure the so-called heath authorities even know yet. The Canada Food Guide is still recommending grain products as one of the healthy food choices. Our educational systems have been given this information as a guideline of healthy eating. Schools, dietitians, medical doctors and diabetic counselors continue to recommend whole grain products, seemingly unaware that once it is put into your mouth it is liquid sugar with all the same detrimental qualities of the well known white poison.

The second issue in the wheat is the protein called gluten. Gluten is a protein present in grains, mainly in wheat, rye, oats and barley. In many people these proteins do not get digested properly and in addition to causing immune system strain with the gut challenge, gluten is broken down into substances with similar chemical structure to opiates such as morphine and heroin. These gluteomorphins cross the blood-brain barrier and may play havoc with mental health conditions of schizophrenia, depression and attention deficits and autism spectrum conditions. Injecting patients with opiate blocking drugs, blocks the addiction to wheat! Because these components can cross the blood brain barrier and attach to opiates receptors, wheat addiction is similar to that of crack cocaine!

The third issue that makes wheat harmful is that it is genetically modified. There are 38 wise European countries that have banned GMO and ingredients that may not fit completely into this category but in North America we are still living the Monsanto American dream and sucking back the toxic chemicals. Recent independent studies have shown a 300% increase in tumors and a >50% decrease in life expectancy in rats fed genetically modified corn. Scientist modify the genes of the plant so that it can withstand the herbicide Round Up (glyphosate) so not only are you ingesting the plant with gene changes that play havoc with our immune system and gut bacteria but you are also ingesting the plants covered in the toxic herbicide that it has been bred to withstand.

If you choose to eat bread and the other sugar forms you will likely require medications to counter the effects. You may need an anti-inflammatory for the inflammation, a diabetic medication to modulate the blood sugar, a pain reliever for the joint pain and if you buy into the outdated diet-heart hypothesis of cholesterol clogging your arteries, a cholesterol lowering medication may also be recommended. Chiropractor, Dr. Dane Donahue says "we can't medicate ourselves out of a problem we've behaved our way into" but the pharmaceutical companies love us to keep trying.

Cholesterol is an important substance in our body. It is an integral part of cell walls, it makes up 25% of brain and it is the substance in myelin sheath that is an insulator for every nerve cell in the body. If you take a lipitor, crestor or other statin drug you are not just lowering the cholesterol in the blood but in every cell in your body. Memory loss, multiple sclerosis and other neuro-degenerative conditions may result with prolonged use. Avoiding grains and hydrogenated fats and adding healthy fats, insoluble fiber and more exercise are safer ways to reduce your risk of heart disease.

This post was inspired by an article in USA today suggesting coconut oil wasn't healthy and seeing that the American Heart Association has endorsed coco puffs as a heart smart choice. We obviously can not depend on those at the top to keep our bodies healthy. Our governments, media and many of our current medical systems are old sickness care models. The genetic modifications and food recommendations of these agencies are often policy proofed and generously guided by the larger pharmaceutical/chemical industries. The onus is on you to educate yourself and share it with others. Like in any industry, it is the consumer demands that push the market. This revolution is a bottom up process and begins and ends with you. Let's "be the change we wish to see" and manifest a healthier planet. Eat fresh, be healthy and share it with others.